


The Magic Of The Darkroom

by bookwrm130



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: F/F, in which I selfishly write about photography because I love it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 15:39:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14500200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwrm130/pseuds/bookwrm130
Summary: They say don't ever date a writer. But have you ever tried dating a photographer?Petra started dating one and so far it's been... an interesting experience.





	The Magic Of The Darkroom

**Author's Note:**

> It is important that you know how much I restrained from explaining every single aspect of the darkroom processes. If I had money, I honestly would be doing it a lot more often. But chemicals are expensive, films are expensive, and renting a darkroom is expensive. So now I just live vicariously through other people. I love photography so much.
> 
> Also, self promoting, sort of, if you ever get a chance to date a photographer, do it.

“Petra.”

Jane Ramos walked into her office to the sight of Petra standing in front of the couch.

“Oh, hi. Just admiring these photos. Your assistant let me in”

“Ah, yes.” JR walked to her desk.

“Sooo, who's the photographer?”

“Hmm?” JR looked up from the files she was looking over. “Me, actually.”

“You, really?” Petra looked surprised.

“Yes, really.” JR teased.

“Well, they're... really good.”

“Thank you,” JR smiled, before talking to Petra about her case.

-Months later-

Petra and JR had a rare day where they both had some time off. They decided to use this time by spending it on the beach close to The Marbella just in case the hotel needed Petra. The job of a hotel owner/manager is a 24/7 job, after all. They were walking down the beach, hands swinging between them, chatting about little things like what happened in that show that they watched last night, and big things like the future of the girls and what school they should go to. JR also had her trusty Nikon FM slung around her shoulder.

Suddenly JR stopped walking, inadvertently tugging Petra to a stop. “Peter, stay right there”

Petra was a little surprised but stayed right where she was. This had happened a few times before, whenever JR had a camera with her. JR walked a few steps back. “Okay now turn your head to your right. Too much! That’s good. Ok now look down a little bit…” Petra could barely hear the sound of the shutter firing several times over the sound of the waves crashing. JR then walked back to Petra and gave her a quick peck, as she always does after she finished making Petra model for her.

“I wish I can see the photos now,” Petra said as they continued their walk down the beach.

“I know babe, but it'll be so worth it when I develop it.”

After a few seconds of silence, Petra asked JR, “Can I come see you develop these?”

“You want to come into a dark, cramped room that smells like chemicals?” JR raised her eyebrow.

“Yeah, I want to see why you insist on doing all this yourself when you can just use a digital camera. Or pay someone else to do it.”

JR seemed a little offended. “Alright, I'll show you the magic of developing then.”

-A couple of weeks later-

Petra scrunched up her nose. “You're right, it stinks in here.”

JR laughed. “You get used to it. And then you grow to even miss it.”

“Highly unlikely,” Petra scoffed.

JR just laughed again.

“I developed my negatives yesterday, so you don't have to sit through that boring part. I'll be printing one of them now.” JR took one of her negatives and put it in what looks like a small black frame. The negative carrier, JR taught Petra. JR then took the carrier and Petra’s hand and walked into another section of the room, towards the enlarger, turning off the neon lights and turning on the red lights as she went.

JR walked Petra through the process, from the use of the enlarger to the wash. She explained what each chemical is and what they do. Petra actually seemed like she was paying attention, nodding at appropriate moments and asking questions. JR took a sheet of photosensitive paper, did some exposure tests, before finally doing the final print. After exposing the paper, JR took it to the first of three baths.

“Now this is where the magic happens.”

JR slipped the photo into the tray of chemical, the developer, and the two watched as the previously blank piece of paper began to turn into various shades of gray.

“Wow,” Petra said.

“It’s great, right? To see a blank paper suddenly turn into a photograph? That’s the magic,” JR said, gently agitating the tray. While waiting for the developer to finish doing its job, JR felt Petra shivering right next to her.

“I told you that it might be cold,” JR said, looking at Petra’s usual outfit of a light, sheer top and short shorts. (Not that she was complaining because Petra looked great.)

“Yeah, well, I’m Czech so…” Petra said stubbornly.

“Yeah but you’ve also been living in Florida for years.” JR pulled Petra into her arms, forgetting about the print for a minute. “Let me warm you up.” JR then started kissing Petra on her neck, slowly moving up to her jawline when, milimeters from kissing her lips, JR pulled away to tend to her print.

Petra stood, flabbergasted, mouth opening and closing. “Wh-, but-,” before settling into a low growl and punched JR in the arm. JR, for her part, chuckled and apologized. “But are you cold now?”

Admittedly she was not cold anymore, but very, very bothered.

Finishing the baths, JR finally took the print to the final water bath for a final wash, before turning the lights back on. Petra was finally able to take a good look at the print. On the paper was an image of her from that day at the beach, hair floating around her head from the wind, the sun shining behind her, creating a halo, her face outlined by the sun. Many people have taken her photos before, had people doing her makeup and wardrobe, studio lights all around her, a camera with a giant lens on it and a professional photographer behind the camera.

But no one had ever captured her like this. Carefree, a little mussed up, a serene smile on her face. She flashbacked to that day and remembered that she was thinking about JR right at that moment, putting that smile on her face. “That’s beautiful, Jane.”

“You’re beautiful.”

Petra kissed JR, showing her gratitude.

“Will you take more photos of me?” Petra asked, other things implied left unsaid.

“As long as you want me to,” JR answered, knowing exactly what Petra was asking.

 

**Author's Note:**

> And then they have darkroom sexy times but I don't want to write that.


End file.
